St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

cross may then be able to deliver you
| from the lions. You are not meeker than
| Moses, nor holier than David, nor more
| patient than Job, and you ought not to
consider yourself invulnerable. You
may have some weak point of
character that you have never dis
covered, and in some hour when you are
assaulted the Philistines will be
upon thee, Samson. Trust not in
your good habits or your early
training, or your pride of character;
nothing short of the arm of Almighty
God will be sufficient to uphold you.
You look forward to the world some
times with a chilling dependency. Cheer
up! will tell you how you all may make
a fortune. "Seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness and all other
things will be added unto you" know
you do not want to be mean in this mat
ter. Give God the freshness Of your life.
You will not have the heart to drink down
the trimming cup of life and then pour
the dregs on Gods altar. To a Saviour
so infinitely generous you have not the
heart to act like that. That is not brave,
that is not honorable, that is not manly
Your greatest want in all the world is a
new heart. In Gods name | tell you
that And the Blessed Spirit presses
through the solemnities and privileges
of this holy hour. Put the cup of life
eternal to your thirsty lips Thrust it
not back. Mercy offers it-bleeding
mercy, long-sutfering mercy Reject all
other friendships, be ungrateful for all
other kindness, prove recreant to all
other bargains, but despise Gods love
for your immortal soul-don't you do
that.
| would like to see some of you this
hour press out of the ranks of the world
and lay your conquered spirit at the feet
of Jesus. This hour is no wandering
vagabOnd staggering over the earth; it is
winged messenger of the skies whiS-
pering mercy to thy soul. Life is smooth
now, but after while it may be rough,
wild and precipitate. There comes crisis
in the history of every man. We seldom
understand that turning point until it is
far past. The road of life is forked and
| read on two signboards This is the
way to happiness This is the way to
ruin How apt we are to pass the forks
of the road without thinking whether it
comes out at the door of bliss or the
gates of darkness
Many years ago / stood on the ami
versary platform with minister of
Christ who made this remarkable state
ment
Thirty years ago two young men
started out in the evening to attend
Park Theatre, New York, where a play
was to be acted in which the cause of re-
ligion was to be placed in ridiculous
and hypocritical light. They came to
the steps. The consciences of both
smote them. One started to 60 home, but
returned again to the door and yet had
not courage to enter, and finally de-
parted. But the other young man entered
the pit of the theatre. 1t was the turn
ing point in the history of those two
young men. The man who entered was
caught in the whirl of temptation. He
sank deeper and deeper in infamv. He
was lost. That other young man was
saved, and he now stands before you to
bless God that for twenty years he has
been permitted to preach the Gospel"
Rejoice, o young man, in thy youth,
and let thy heart cheer thee in the
days of thy youth; but know thou that
for all these things God will bring the
judgment"